782 Gear

[pop401k]

I've got a complete set of WWII deuce gear (that's web gear for you Army types)... Is it acceptable for, say, first half of the conflict? I'm mainly concerned about the khaki ammo belt, but I do know they mixed/matched the green and khaki gear.

I ask because i don't want to shell out another bundle for stuff I've already got; if it's useable.

I do know that the marines used a lot of WWII stuff at least until 1967... not necessarily all khaki however.

[Woodard]

WW2 stuff should be fine. The Corps is pretty notorious about using stuff til it falls apart. I've heard in one or two books that Reservists often had older gear (WW2 stock) while active duty would have more of the OD stuff. You hear of Marines in Vietnam having early WW2 gear, and AEF supply claims that the WW1 first aid pouch they copied came from one issued to a Marine reservist in Korea. There's even a famous series of pictures from Chosin of an MG unit where the riflemen are carrying M1903 Springfields. I know my reserve unit had plenty of Vietnam era stuff when I left in 2005. I'd start with WW2 stuff, then whenever you find something really cheap that's OD you can mix it in.

[foxholetom]

Same olds true of army supply. When it comes to things like cartridge belts, canteen covers, first aid pouches, etc, there is a lot of WW2 era equipment.

I'm less sure about the Marines, but I know that 8th Army's direct supply was from Japan, which had stockpiles of equipment left over from WW2. I believe a lot of it was equipment originally earmarked for the Invasion of Japan, subsequently stockpiled for the occupation.

[Woodard]

I'm gonna make a leap and say they would have carried whatever they had been issued stateside. Replacement drafts arrived by ship, seems like the accounts I've read they had full issue when they left. Most of the pics I see of reservists being mobilized, they have all thier combat gear. I'm sure it's the same thing as our guys in 2003. Whenever we complained about something being old or broken they'd say "oh, don't worry, if you deploy you'll get all new stuff." Yea, right. The "new stuff" they got was like a MOPP suit and a vietnam era mosquito headnet.

[jonprince]

WW2 period OD3 field gear is fine for Marines in Korea, more so than for Army infact as the Marine Corps at that point was still last in line for cash and it tended to spend that money in other areas anyway. Plus you can use all the dandy late WW2 USMC stuff that never really made it to the field in quantity (or at all) in WW2, 2 pocket grenade pouches, 3 cell 30rd Thompson mag pouches, '2nd model'/rollneck haversacks etc.. Plus older stuff you still see plenty of 1st and 2nd model canteen covers for example, mos fieldgear seems to be OD3, though you get the typical late WW2 type of Army gear still present, M43 shovels, dressing pouches etc. I've even seen really early stuff like the combined BAR/cartridge belt which I think is WW1 or inter-war vintage.

[foxholetom]

Jon, I was looking at pictures of the 25th division in 1950, and I noticed one having the BAR/cartridge belt combo belt on, and it is indeed of WW1 vintage. I also noticed that the WW1 .45 pouch was still much in evidence with Army troops. I also noticed a fair amount of M36/M43 field suspenders being worn, which makes me wonder how they carried their M1945 packs...

[John Abshire]

maybe thats why you see so many hobo rolls...

[foxholetom]

The army determined that packs in general were useless anyway...hence why the M1956 gear just has a buttpack.

[ssgtsattilaro]

If this is the case, that WW2 gear might just be acceptable at these Korean War events then I have enough stuff for both early and late war impressions. I can use the Khaki WW2 stuff in 50s scenarios amd the dark green stuff in 52-53 scenarios. GREAT! No more buying!!!